Parsippany & Whippany NJ eateries, Tabor Road Tavern & Eccola Restaurant Reviews

The internet does not do justice to the amazing eateries of Parsippany & Whippany NJ. I thought I was in for my own private episode of diners, drive-ins & dives (I love Guy!), but was very pleasantly surprised by the food I found.

Tabor Road Tavern – don’t miss the turn for this hot-spot! U-turns don’t exist in NJ and it’s hard to find your way back. However, when you do arrive, there’s free valet parking (the lot was full on a Wednesday night) We had a very large group and were forced to eat on the patio in the middle of a NJ heat wave. Despite the heat, we had a great time and so great food! The specials were fresh and offered a variety of choices fit for the season. I ordered sea scallop and risotto entrée. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the risotto was amazing. It melted in my mouth and left me wanting more. Service was great (we had a group of 24 people) and the drinks and food kept flowing. No one in the party was disappointed with their order. The bar was hopping on a Wednesday night and it seemed like a great place for a drink. I would highly recommend a trip to the Tabor Road Tavern next time you’re in the area. I’ll be back.

Eccola Italian bistro is hidden in a strip mall next to an Indian Food Market and fast food chicken joint. The storefront is unassuming, but the restaurant came very highly recommended by a few people. A relatively small restaurant, the seating seemed ample. The open kitchen allowed amazing smells to waft through the dining room. We were seated right next to the kitchen, but I never thought it was overly loud and didn’t notice too much wait staff traffic. We started our meal with some appetizers, Calamari Frutti served with hot sauce, escargot in the shell with a white wine and caper sauce – delish! I am a huge fan of escargot and get them whenever I can. These were very good and perhaps among my top 5 favorite! For the entrée I ordered a treat – Scaloppine di Vitello Picatta auteed in lemon, butter, white wine and capers. It was light and perfectly cooked. So many times veal can be overdone and chewy. It was tender and sumptuous and bursting with flavor. What I particularly liked was that the plate wasn’t overrun with sauce or heavy pasta. It was just perfect. We shared dessert, which was okay. Nothing to write home about, but still filled my crazing for a sweet ending. Eccola Italian Bistro is a don’t miss!